BIOMETRIC REGISTRATION EXERCISE CONTINUES FOR SOUTH SUDANESE REFUGEES IN KHARTOUM – As of 29 May, the Government of Sudan’s Commission for Refugees (COR), with support from UNHCR, have registered over 1,600 South Sudanese refugees living in ‘open area’ settlements. The exercise is ongoing for an estimated 60,000 refugees living across 9 settlements.

PLAN INTERNATIONAL SUDAN (PIS) COMPLETES FIELD SURVEY ON SCHOOL DROP-OUT FOR REFUGEE AND HOST COMMUNITY CHILDREN IN AL KHOWEY LOCALITY, WEST KORDOFAN – PIS and national partner ALAAN Charity Organization conducted home visits with 130 refugee and host community families in the locality to identify drivers of school dropout. The main reasons for dropout cited by families include: children needing to work to support household income; inability to cover costs of school fees and supplies; household responsibilities (i.e., the need to support sick parents and provide sibling care); and discrimination. These issues underscore the links between livelihoods gaps and education access for both refugee and host community children in West Kordofan. Protection and education partners are collaborating on ways to address these issues. Scale-up of diversified livelihoods interventions and education assistance to support school retention is needed.

SUSPECTED MEASLES CASES CONTINUE TO BE REPORTED – As of 16 February, over 100 cases among both refugee and host communities have been reported in White Nile State camp clinics. Measles outbreaks have been reported across most States in Sudan, affecting Sudanese nationals as well as refugees. The State Ministry of Health and WHO are leading on surveillance, laboratory support and case management. A measles vaccination campaign will launch in April.

URGENT FUNDING NEEDED TO COVER VECTOR CONTROL CAMPAIGNS IN WHITE NILE CAMPS – The State Ministry of Health conducted vector control campaigns in all camps, through support from WHO. Vector control campaigns are an essential component of disease prevention programmes in refugee camps. Funds are urgently needed to cover vector control and water quality activities through to the end of 2019.

SUDAN’S TRANSITIONAL MILITARY COUNCIL (TMC) AND THE FORCES OF FREEDOM AND CHANGE (FFC) COALITION REACH A POWER-SHARING AGREEMENT - On 5 July, Sudan’s Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition reached a power-sharing agreement for a transitional period of just over three years. On 9 July, the Government restored internet connectivity across Sudan, easing communication challenges response partners faced since 3 June. However, shortages of cash, fuel and diesel persist. A total of 883 South Sudanese refugees arrived in Sudan in July, bringing the number of new arrivals so far in 2019 to 14,758.

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION TOOL (GDT) USED TO COMPLETE FOOD DISTRIBUTION IN WHITE NILE STATE: A third cycle of the roll-out of biometric food distribution using the Global Distribution Tool (GDT) took place in November, conducted by a joint team formed by the Commissioner for Refugees (COR), UNHCR, WFP and the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) in the White Nile State. The exercise was conducted in the camps of Alagaya, Dabat Bosin, Khor Al Warel, Um Sangor and Al Jameya, with a total of about 105,239 beneficiaries targeted.

UNHCR in SUDAN COVID 19 PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE: To protect refugees and IDPs as well as their hosts in Sudan from COVID-19, UNHCR and partners have rolled out a massive prevention, preparedness and response programme. The Agency joined WHO and UNICEF in spreading awareness by translating posters in refugee languages, by briefing volunteers and IDP leaders, through leaflets and 15,000 text messages sent to urban refugees in Khartoum. In addition, in the first weeks after the first known case of corona virus in Sudan, UNHCR and partners distributed soap to over 260,000 people and established a surveillance system in refugee camps for immediate isolation of potential cases, reporting to the health authorities and subsequent testing.

UNHCR and COR SECURE THE RELEASE OF DETAINED REFUGEES AMID COVID 19 FEARS: To reduce the risk of infection in overcrowded detention sites, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, together with the government’s Commissioner for Refugees (COR) achieved the release from immigration detention in the Sudanese capital Khartoum of Eritrean asylum-seekers for proper registration. They had been in detention for administrative reasons.